10 Easy Ways to Jump-Start Your Creativity

Brazen
Life powers real-time, online events for leading
organizations around the world. Our lifestyle and career
blog, Brazen Life,
offers fun and edgy ideas for ambitious professionals
navigating the changing world of work.

Recent Posts

After weeks of pleading and persuading, the higher-ups finally
assigned you a project worthy of your creative talent. Something
big. You plunk yourself down at the keyboard, eager to dazzle the
entire office with ideas that will redefine the industry.

But nothing happens. Not one drop of the ingenuity you know is
bottled up inside gushes forth. Meanwhile, your deadline nears.

Creativity doesn’t flow from a tap that we can simply turn off
and on. It’s fickle. Like a Broadway diva, it often needs some
pampering and encouragement before taking center stage.

Surround yourself with the cool, calming color of blue to give
your creativity a boost. A 2009 study published in the
journal Science outlined how colors take on certain associations.
Red makes us anxious, while blue allows us to relax. The study
found that people who faced a blue computer screen were better
able to unwind and allow fresh ideas to develop. Simply go
into the settings on your computer and change the background on
your desktop to a more calming color and see if it works for you.

2. Keep It Random

Grab a magazine or book, flip to any page and just start reading.
Turn on the TV to a show that’s half over and watch it for a few
minutes. Don’t try to catch up on the plot—pay attention to the
phrases being used or emotions being conveyed. Your mind will
start to fill in the gaps, which can create new ideas.

3. Be Cheerful

Watch a video of your favorite standup comic. Mood is a
significant determining factor in creativity. While anxiety can
focus a person, good cheer and happiness can
foster new ideas, according to one study published by the National Academy of
Sciences in 2006. Just watching a clip of a laughing baby has
shown the potential to boost one’s creativity.

4. Feed Your Creativity

Certain foods provide nutrients that help foster fresh thinking.
Antioxidants found in vitamin C- and vitamin E-rich foods (such
as broccoli, spinach and sunflower seeds) are known to promote
creativity.

5. Map Your Mind

This technique is like brainstorming 2.0. Jot
down a central topic or word on a piece of paper and then link
related terms or ideas around it. This creates a visual way of
seeing how different ideas and concepts are linked while
providing a unique perspective on your subject.

6. List It Out

Creating lists can help you organize those tangled thoughts. Take
a question that’s central to your project and then rattle off as
many answers as you can. Don’t overthink it—the responses must be
spontaneous, allowing your subconscious to take the lead. Stay
focused and make the entire list in a single sitting for best
results.

7. Embrace the Absurd

Try thinking of your project in a completely different way. Go
nuts! One method called JanusianThinking involves connecting
two opposite or ridiculous concepts to create an original idea.
Consider markets or audiences that have nothing to do with the
project you’re working on. A strange combination could spark a
great idea.

8. Meditate

If you can find a nice, quiet spot to escape from your usual work
routine, meditation might help you stoke the creative flame.
A recent study published by
Frontiers in Cognition showed that certain meditation techniques
influence the divergent and convergent styles of thinking—the
main two ingredients for creativity. It will also help you relax,
which is never a bad thing.

9. Perform Menial Tasks

Pick up a broom, do the dishes or even pave the driveway—any
menial work that will allow your mind to wander. This frees up
your subconscious and will allow new ideas to enter. At the very
least, you’ll get some of the housework done.

10. Switch Your Medium

Break out of your comfort zone by being creative in a different
way. If you’re a graphic designer, try writing. If you’re a
writer, give sketching a shot. This will force you to look at
your project with a new perspective as you strive to overcome
different challenges.